8 Termite Hotspots: How To Prevent Termites

Termites are very destructive pests, their insatiable hunger for wood causes billions of dollars worth of damage in the US alone each year. These crawling insects can cause major structural damage to a property in just six months, and can completely destroy a home in just two years.

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Termites feed on cellulose. Cellulose is the main component in the cell walls of plants. It is the most abundant organic compound on Earth. This dietary requirement means that termites can, and will, devourer the wooden structures of buildings as well as furniture, money, and even clothes.

Termite Swarms

Termite swarm season, which usually happens during the early months of spring, is when your home is most at risk. During this period, winged termites leave their nest to mate and start a new colony, which could be in your home!

Find out everything you need to know about flying termites

How to prevent termites

Accumulating a termite problem can put a huge financial strain on both homes and businesses due to the large repair costs involved.

Luckily, we have some prevention tips to help reduce the risk of termites choosing your home as their next residence/meal.

1. Exterior

The exterior of your home can often act as a portal to your home, putting it at risk of termite damage.

Roof

Broken tiles create moisture which attracts termites, and can provide a gateway inside.

Leaky pipes

Cupboards

Built in wooden cupboards provides termites with a food source. They are also close to walls and floors providing termites with an easy opportunity.

Prevention tips:

Regularly inspect your cupboards for termite activity. If you are worried, call a professional pest controller!

8. Garden

Ever seen the movie Hook? Remember the banquet scene? Well, that’s exactly what a garden is like for termites.

Tree Stumps

Tree stumps are a good source of food for termites. Trees are a great way for termites to get one of their five a day, five pieces of wood that is.

Prevention tips:

Remove old tree stumps from your garden

Mulch

Garden mulch is not only high in moisture, it is also mainly made up of wood chippings. Think of it as a giant bag of pick n’ mix for termites.

Prevention tips:

Use mulch made from other materials such as gravel, plastic, and rubber

Leave a gap between the mulch and the foundations of your home

Fencing and decking

Subterranean termites use underground tunnels to search for food. Fence posts and decking, which have contact with the ground, provide termites with a free meal.

Prevention tips:

Use termite-resistant or treated fence posts

Replace wooden fence posts with ones made from metal and rock

If you live in an area prone to termite activity opt for an alternative garden feature to decking.

Wood stacked against the house

Fire wood stacked against the house can act as an open invitation to your home for termites. It’s sort of like when supermarkets hand out free samples.

Prevention tips:

Store wood elevated off the ground and away from your home.

Termite inspection

You may have noticed that the majority of these prevention tips involve carrying out regular inspections for termites. In doing so you are creating a proactive method in keeping your home safe from these wood boring insects.

Termite removal

Although these termite prevention tips can help to reduce the risk of termites, they are not a guaranteed fix. The best way to get rid of termites is to enlist the help of a pest control professional. A termite exterminator will be able to ensure your home is kept safe from termites by offering a range of protection and treatment methods.

Worries about termites? Get in contact with Rentokil today and book a termite inspection.

9 Spring pest prevention tips

Termites are a common pest during the spring and summer months. Find out how to prevent other pests during these seasons in your home and garden.

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About Author

Jack

I joined the Marketing and Innovation team at Rentokil in 2015, and my mind has quickly become accustomed to the weird and wonderful world of pests. Outside of work my main hobby is music. I am a huge Led Zeppelin and Queen fan as well as an avid drummer.

When it comes to termites, they’re hard to detect until you see evidence of them snacking on your home. It can sometimes be easy to forget certain areas (like the attic), but having a list like this definitely helps prevent that. Thanks for sharing!

It never occurred to me that termites might infest my storage unit. I think I might switch to using plastic pallets instead wood. I don’t think there’s a problem but it’s better to be safe than sorry. It seems like there isn’t anywhere that’s safe from them.

I have always worried that there were termites in my house, and I was wondering how you can prevent them. I had no idea that repair the roof can help keep them out. I will have to get that done, and have someone come look and see if we have them.

I didn’t realize that termites could be such problem on the roof of a house! I guess I thought the roof got too hot for termites to live in. I’ve heard that slate roofs are the most reliable, does slate help keep termites away at all?